Thread supplying apparatus for embroidering machine

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, including: at least one pair of guides which comprises a thread guiding part formed with a thread moving path guiding each thread supplied from a plurality of bobbins to a needle working part and is continually formed along the thread moving path and coupled to each other with a spacing portion therebetween; a thread spacer member to take up the thread passed through the spacing portion and to space the thread from the thread moving path to put the thread on a standby state in which the thread standbys to be supplied to the needle working part from a working state in which the thread moves to the needle working part; and a thread maintaining member provided in the thread guiding part and to apply a tension force to the thread spaced from the thread moving path, and to maintain the thread on the standby state.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, and more particularly, to a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine which includes a developed thread supplying configuration.

BACKGROUND ART

An automatic embroidering machine, which is a kind of an automatic sewing machine automatically embroiders a predetermined design or a predetermined trademark on a label of a garment, a pair of shoes, or the like with threads by a preset embroidering program.

Generally, the automatic embroidering machine includes a head stem provided in front of a settling frame, a thread supplying apparatus mounted to the head stem and to supply a plurality of threads with colors from a plurality of bobbins in a direction of an embroidering work, and a needle working part to thread a thread supplied by the thread supplying apparatus and to perform an embroidering work. Further, the automatic embroidering machine is classified into a single needle type and a multi needle type according to the number of needles mounted to the thread supplying apparatus and the needle working part.

The automatic embroidering machine of the single needle type includes a thread supplying apparatus alternately to supply one of various colored threads from a plurality of bobbins to a needle working part, and the needle working part having one needle to thread the selected thread and to perform an embroidering work.

The automatic embroidering machine of the multi needle type includes a thread supplying apparatus to supply various colored threads from a plurality of bobbins to a needle working part, and the needle working part having a plurality of needles to thread the respective threads so that one of the threaded threads can perform an embroidering work.

Hereinafter, a single needle automatic embroidering machine will be exemplarily described.

The conventional thread supplying apparatus for a single needle automatic embroidering machine has been disclosed in Korean Patent First Publication No. 2005-18685.

The conventional thread supplying apparatus for the single needle automatic embroidering machine includes a head stem having a needle working part; a thread supplying part mounted to the head stem and supplying one of a plurality of threads from a plurality of thread-bobbins to the needle working part, and a thread standby length adjusting part forming a thread accommodating part which accommodates a thread between the thread-bobbins and the thread supplying part and moving the plural threads to be accommodated into the thread accommodating part.

The thread standby length adjusting part includes a thread standby length adjusting main body provided between the thread-bobbins and the thread supplying part and having the thread accommodating part capable of accommodating a predetermined length of the respective threads that is put on standby, and a thread standby length adjusting bar to move the threads into the thread accommodating part to be put on standby.

However, in the conventional thread supplying apparatus for the single needle automatic embroidering machine, as the thread standby length adjusting bar moving up, the threads that are put on standby in the thread accommodating part of the thread standby length adjusting main body may not maintain their thread-standby shape of the respective threads moved up by the thread standby length adjusting bar, and thus may be irregularly accommodated in the thread accommodating part. Accordingly, the threads that are put on standby in the thread accommodating part may disadvantageously get tangled or snarled, and the embroidering work is abnormally performed because the threads is not smoothly supplied to the thread supplying part.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Solution

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, which can smoothly supply a thread and prevent an embroidering work from being abnormally performed.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are achieved by providing a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, comprising: at least one pair of guides which comprises a thread guiding part formed with a thread moving path guiding each thread supplied from a plurality of bobbins to a needle working part and is continually formed along the thread moving path and coupled to each other with a spacing portion therebetween; a thread spacer member to take up the thread passed through the spacing portion and to space the thread from the thread moving path to put the thread on a standby state in which the thread standbys to be supplied to the needle working part from a working state in which the thread moves to the needle working part; and a thread maintaining member provided in the thread guiding part and to apply a tension force to the thread spaced from the thread moving path, and to maintain the thread on the standby state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the thread maintaining member comprises one of urethane, adhesive rubber, sandpaper, wool, double-side tape, Velcro, and a protrusion from the thread guiding part.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the thread maintaining member is formed as one of a point, a line and a surface in the guiding part.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged perspective view of a thread standby length adjusting part of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view depending on a III-III line of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 through 6 are sectional views illustrating an operation that the thread standby length adjusting part according to the embodiment of the present invention receives a plurality of threads and puts the plurality of threads on standby;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views illustrating an operation that the thread standby length adjusting part according to the embodiment of the present invention withdraws provided threads;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a thread standby length adjusting part in a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 9.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3, a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine 1 according to the present invention includes an settling frame 5; a head stem 7 provided in front of the settling frame 5 and having a needle working part (not shown) equipped in a lower area thereof; a thread supplying part 10 mounted to the head stem 7 and to supply one selected among a plurality of threads provided from a plurality of bobbins 9 having various colored threads to the needle working part (not shown); and a thread standby length adjusting part 20 provided between the bobbins 9 and the thread supplying part 10 to put the plurality of threads on standby.

The settling frame 5 is seated on a horizontal surface such as the ground, or mounted to a wall, other machinery or the like, to thereby support the head stem 7, etc.

The head stem 7 is preferably but not necessarily shaped like an approximately rectangular plate to support the thread supplying 10 and the thread working part (not shown) in a front thereof. Alternatively, the head stem 7 may have various shapes capable of supporting the thread supplying 10 and the like.

The thread supplying part 10 includes a thread supplying block 11 having a plurality of thread standby pipes 12 to accommodate ends of the respective threads 3 provided from the plurality of bobbins 9 to put them on standby; a plurality of connection pipes 15 placed under the thread supplying block 11 and to communicate with the respective thread standby pipes 12; a thread guiding pipe 19 communicating with the plurality of connection pipes 15; a supporting pipe 17 to support the plurality of connection pipes 15 and the thread guiding pipe 19; an air supplying part 13 provided to respectively communicate with the plurality of thread standby pipes 12 provided in the thread supplying block 11 and to alternately shoot out a high-pressure air to the respective thread standby pipes 12, thereby alternately supplying one of the threads 3 accommodated in the plural thread standby pipes 12 to the needle working part (not shown). Here, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread supplying part 10 further includes an auxiliary air supplying part 18 coupled to the supporting pipe 17 and to shoot out the air to facilitate supplying the threads 3 provided through one of the plural connection pipes 15 to the needle working part (not shown) through the thread guiding pipe 19.

The thread standby length adjusting part 20 includes a plurality of thread guiding parts 23 formed with each thread moving path to guide the threads 3 supplied from the respective bobbins, to the needle working part (not shown); a plurality of guides 21 continually formed along thread moving paths of the respective thread guiding part 23 and coupled to each other with spacing portions 27 provided therebetween; a plurality of thread spacer members 31 to take up the respective threads 3 passing through the spacing portions 27 and to space the plural threads 3 from the thread moving paths to put the plural threads 3 on a standby state in which the threads standby to be supplied to the needle working part (not shown) from a working state in which the threads move to the needle working part (not shown) along the respective thread moving paths; and a plurality of thread maintaining members 39 provided in the respective thread guiding parts 23 and to apply a tension force to the respective threads 3 spaced from their thread moving paths, to thereby maintain the respective threads 3 on the standby state.

In an embodiment of the present invention, four guides 21 are continually formed in a line. At this time, ends of the four respective guides 21 are combined with each other as one body. The thread guiding parts 23 of the respective guides 21 communicate with each other. Here, the respective thread guiding parts 23 are formed with partition walls 29 provided in a transverse direction of the thread moving paths or in a parallel direction with the spacing portions 27 and to change a moving direction of the respective threads 3. It is preferable but not necessary that the guides 21 have an approximately rectangular block shape.

The spacing portions 27 may accommodate and guide the thread spacer members 31. At this time, preferably but not necessarily, the spacing portions 27 are formed in a transverse direction of the respective thread moving paths or in a parallel direction with the partition walls 29. In the embodiment of the present invention that includes four guides 21, three spacing portions 27 are provided. Here, the respective spacing portions 27 are provided to communicate with the thread guiding parts 23 corresponding to the plural threads 3 of the respective guides 21.

The thread spacer members 31 may be movably accommodated into the spacing portions 27. The thread spacer members 31 takes up the plural threads 3 passing through the spacing portions 27 and spaces the plural threads 3 from the thread moving paths to put the plural threads 3 to a standby state from a working state that the plural threads 3 moves along the respective thread moving paths. At this time, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread spacer members 31 are plurally provided corresponding to the number of the spacing portions 27 in an upper area of the plural threads 3. In the embodiment of the present invention that includes three spacing portions 27, three thread spacer members 31 are provided. Further, preferably but not necessarily, a spacer member supporting part 33, which is formed or combined with a plurality of thread spacer members 31 as one body, is provided in an area of the respective thread spacer members 31.

At this time, it is preferable but not necessary that the spacer member supporting part 33 is coupled to a spacer member driving part 35 that allows the thread spacer members 31 to move along the spacing portions 27.

Preferably but not necessarily, the spacer member driving part 35 includes a cylinder apparatus having a part thereof coupled to the spacer member supporting part 33 to reciprocate the spacer member supporting part 33 up and down. However, alternatively, the spacer member driving part 35 may include a driving motor having a driving belt coupled to the spacer member supporting part 33 to reciprocate the spacer member supporting part 33 up and down.

The plurality of thread maintaining members 39 may be respectively provided as a sheet shape having a predetermined cross-section area. In the embodiment of the present invention, the thread maintaining members 39 are provided at regular intervals on opposite inside surfaces of the respective thread guiding parts 23, and are brought into surface-contact with the threads 3 to apply a tension force to the respective threads 3. Herein, the thread maintaining members 39 may include one of urethane, adhesive rubber, sandpaper, wool, double-side tape, Velcro, and a protrusion from opposite inside surfaces of the respective thread guiding parts 23. Alternatively, the thread maintaining members 39 may be formed as one of a point, a line and a surface in the guiding part 23.

The thread standby length adjusting part 20 is provided between the bobbins 9 and the guides 21. At this time, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread standby length adjusting part 20 includes a thread supply intercepting part 41 capable of intercepting the plural threads 3 supplied to the guides 21.

The thread supply intercepting part 41 is provided behind an area of the guides 21 to intercept the plural threads 3 supplied to the guides 21. At this time, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread supply intercepting part 41 includes a first intercepting part 43 and a second intercepting part 45 that can be contacted and detached from each other to put the plural threads 3 therebetween.

The first intercepting part 43 is provided close to the guides 21, and the second intercepting part 45 is provided in an upper area of the first intercepting part 45. Here, the plural threads 3 are located between the first intercepting part 43 and the second intercepting part 45. Further, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread supply intercepting part 41 further includes an interception driving part 49 to intercept or permit the plural threads 3 supplied to the guides 21 by controlling the first intercepting part 43 and the second intercepting part 45 to be contacted and detached from each other. At this time, preferably but not necessarily, an elastic member 47 is provided to mutually push inside surfaces of the first intercepting part 43 and the second intercepting part 45 facing each other whenever the first intercepting part 43 and the second intercepting part 45 are contacted and detached from each other. Also, a plurality of passing-through holes are provided in the second intercepting part 45 so that the respective threads 3 supplied from the bobbins 9 can be pass through the passing-through holes.

It is preferable but not necessary that the interception driving part 49 is embodied as a cylinder apparatus having a part thereof coupled to the first intercepting part 43 or the second intercepting part 45 so as to reciprocate one of the first and second intercepting part 43 and 45 based on another thereof to control the first and second intercepting part 43 and 45 to be contacted and detached from each other, thereby intercepting and permitting the plural threads 3 supplied to the guides 21.

On the other hand, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine 1 according to the present invention further includes a thread supporting part 50 provided between the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and the thread supplying part 10 and to support the plural threads 3 supplied from the thread standby length adjusting part 20 to the thread supplying part 10. Further, preferably but not necessarily, the thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine 1 further includes a thread support guiding part 60 provided between the bobbins 9 and the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and to support the plural thread supplied from the bobbins 9 to the thread standby length adjusting part 20.

The thread supporting part 50 includes a supporting plate 51 provided between the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and the thread supplying part 10, a first supporting part 53 provided in an area of the supporting plate 51 facing the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and to support the plural threads 3 positioned between the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and the thread supplying part 10, and a second supporting part 55 provided in another area of the supporting plate 51 facing the thread supplying part 10 and to support the plural threads 3 positioned between the first supporting part 53 and the thread supplying part 10.

It is preferable but not necessary that the supporting plate 51 has a plate shape in an upper area of the head step 7, and the first supporting part 53 is formed to accommodate the plural threads 3 by bending a wire several times. Further, preferably but not necessarily, the second supporting part 55 is provided as a plurality of passing-through holes in an upper area of the thread supplying part 10 so that the plural threads 3 can be passed through the respective passing-through holes of the second supporting part 55.

The thread support guiding part 60 includes a thread supporter 61 provided between the thread bobbins 9 and the thread standby length adjusting part 20 and to support the plural threads 3 supplied from the thread bobbins 9 to the thread standby length adjusting part 20; and a thread guiding member 63 provided in the thread supporter 61 to guide the plural threads 3 to thread standby length adjusting part 20.

The thread supporter 61 having a T-shape is provided behind the guide 21 to support the plural threads 3. The thread guiding member 63 having a L-shape is extended from a side of the thread supporter 61 and may be plurally provided. At this time, a plurality of passing-through holes is formed on the respective thread guiding members 63 so that the plural threads 3 can be passed through the respective passing-through holes and be guided.

An operation of the thread standby length adjusting part 20 provided in the thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine 1 having the above-described configurations according to the present invention will be hereinafter described.

First, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6, a preparing operation that the thread standby length adjusting part 20 accommodates the plural threads 3 to put them on standby will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the plural threads 3 may be supplied from the bobbins 9 to the thread supplying part 10 through the thread support guiding part 60, the thread supply intercepting part 41, and the thread guiding part 23 and the thread supporting part 50 of the respective guides 21.

Then, the spacer member driving part 35 is driven so that the thread spacer members 31 can be moved down along the respective spacing portions 27. At this time, the thread supply intercepting part 41 maintains permitting the plural threads 3. As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the plural threads 3 spaced from the respective thread moving paths are moved down by the thread spacer members, and are brought into contact with the thread maintaining members 39, a moving shape of the plural threads 3 moved by the thread spacer members 31 is constantly maintained, and the plural threads 3 are uniformly arranged. That is, the plural threads 3 in the thread guiding part 23 are not crumpled into a dump or get tangled and are put on a standby state due to the thread maintaining members 39.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the thread spacer members 31 is moved up along the respective spacing portions 27 again.

Then, if ends of the respective threads 3 are inserted into the thread standby pipes 12 of the thread supplying part 10, a thread preparing operation that the plural threads 3 is set up to supply them to the needle working part (not shown) will be completed.

If the thread preparing operation is completed, the air supplying part 13 shoots out a high-pressure air to the plural thread standby pipes 12, to thereby alternately supply one of the plural threads 3 accommodated in the plural thread standby pipes 12 to the needle working part (not shown). The other plural threads 3 that has not to been selected are brought into contact with the thread maintaining members 39, and a tension force are respectively applied on the other plural threads 3. Accordingly, the thread standby length adjusting part 20 maintains a standby state that the thread maintaining members 39 puts the other plural threads 3 on standby to be supplied to the needle working part (not shown). At this time, the other plural threads 3 under the standby state maintains their moving shapes while moved by the thread spacer members 31. Then, the other plural threads 3 are uniformly arranged and are put on standby in the thread guiding part 23.

As a result, the plural threads 3 to perform a needle operation are continually supplied from the bobbins 9 to the needle working part (not shown) through the respective thread moving paths and the thread supplying part 10.

On the other hand, when the threads 3 is withdrawn due to cutoff or exchange of the threads 3, as illustrated FIGS. 7 and 8, the interception driving part 49 is driven to contact the first intercepting part 43 and the second intercepting part 45 of the thread supply intercepting part 41. Accordingly, the threads supplied from the bobbins 9 to the thread standby length adjusting part 20 are intercepted (referring to FIG. 7). Then, if the spacer member driving part 35 is driven, and the thread spacer members 31 are moved down along the respective spacing portions 27, the threads 3 supplied to the needle working part (not shown) are withdrawn to the thread standby pipes 12 (referring to FIG. 8). Again, the spacer member driving part 35 is driven, and the thread spacer members 31 are moved up along the respective spacing portions 27.

Then, the interception driving part 49 is driven to detach the first intercepting part 43 from the second intercepting part 45 of the thread supply intercepting part 41. At this time, the air supplying part 13 shoots out a high-pressure air to the plural thread standby pipes 12, to thereby alternately supply one of the plural threads 3 accommodated in the plural thread standby pipes 12 to the needle working part (not shown).

As described above, a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine can smoothly supply a thread and prevent an embroidering work from being abnormally performed by providing a thread maintaining member in respective thread guiding parts having thread moving paths, which guides each thread supplied from a plurality of bobbins, to a needle working part so as to apply a tension force to the respective threads spaced from the thread moving paths, to thereby maintain putting the threads on standby.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in a thread standby length adjusting part 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of thread maintaining members 39 is disposed in a spacing portion 27 between a pair of adjacent guides 21. In other words, the thread maintaining members 39 is mounted to a first guide 21 and protrudes toward an adjacent second guide 21. Thus, the thread standby length adjusting part 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention allows a thread 3 to move along only its own path without moving along other paths when the thread 3 moves to a thread guiding part 23 of each guide 21. Here, it is preferable but not necessary that the thread maintaining member 39 is made of urethane with a thin plate shape so that it can be elastically transformed when a thread spacer member 31 moves up and down.

As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, there is provided a thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, which can smoothly supply a thread and prevent an embroidering work from being abnormally performed.

The present general inventive concept may be applied on various embroidering machines such as single needle automatic embroidering machines, multi needle automatic embroidering machines, and sewing machines.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A thread supplying apparatus for an embroidering machine, comprising: at least one pair of guides which comprises a thread guiding part formed with a thread moving path guiding each thread supplied from a plurality of bobbins to a needle working part and is continually formed along the thread moving path and coupled to each other with a spacing portion therebetween; a thread spacer member to take up the thread passed through the spacing portion and to space the thread from the thread moving path to put the thread on a standby state in which the thread standbys to be supplied to the needle working part from a working state in which the thread moves to the needle working part; and a thread maintaining member provided in the thread guiding part and to apply a tension force to the thread spaced from the thread moving path, and to maintain the thread on the standby state.
 2. The thread supplying apparatus for the embroidering machine according to claim 1, wherein the thread maintaining member comprises one of urethane, adhesive rubber, sandpaper, wool, double-side tape, Velcro, and a protrusion from the thread guiding part.
 3. The thread supplying apparatus for the embroidering machine according to claim 1, wherein the thread maintaining member is formed as one of a point, a line and a surface in the guiding part.
 4. The thread supplying apparatus for the embroidering machine according to claim 2, wherein the thread maintaining member is formed as one of a point, a line and a surface in the guiding part. 